The Manufacturing Cluster includes planning, managing and performing the processing of materials into intermediate or final products and related professional and technical support activities such as production planning and control, maintenance and manufacturing/process engineering.

Manufacturing creates high-paying jobs to strengthen our middle class. In 2009, the average U.S. manufacturing worker earned $72,258 in pay and benefits, compared to $58,411 for the average non-manufacturing worker. Source: Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council (CMRC), 2011.